Bryan Singer fired from Queen biopic, says source

Director Bryan Singer has been fired from the Queen biopic he'd been directing, according to a source close to Twentieth Century Fox, the studio behind the project.

The source claimed that Singer was terminated because he proved to be unreliable on set and said that the studio expects to have a new director on board in a matter of days.

Fox confirmed to ABC News that Singer was no longer directing the film, titled "Bohemian Rhapsody," but did not comment on the particulars of the situation. A representative for Singer did not respond to a request for comment.

Singer released a statement through his lawyer to Variety saying Fox had refused to allow him time off to care for one of his parents being sick.

"With fewer than three weeks to shoot remaining, I asked Fox for some time off so I could return to the U.S. to deal with pressing health matters concerning one of my parents," the statement read. "This was a very taxing experience, which ultimately took a serious toll on my own health. Unfortunately, the studio was unwilling to accommodate me and terminated my services."

The project is still slated for a December 2018 release.

Last Friday, The Hollywood Reporter reported that the biopic, which stars actor Rami Malek as late musician Freddie Mercury, had halted production because of the "unexpected unavailability" of Singer. At the time, a representative for the director told the BBC that Singer's absence was because of "a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family."

The representative added in a statement at the time: "Bryan hopes to get back to work on the film soon after the holidays."

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the studio's decision to oust Singer came after a growing conflict between Malek and the director, apparently over Singer being frequently absent from the set.